In October 2023, South Africa’s leading concrete sleeper manufacturer, Colossal Concrete Products (CCP), re-opened its moth-balled railway sleeper manufacturing plant in De Aar in the Northern Cape, a courageous move which has left it perfectly positioned to benefit from the subsequent rail revival in South Africa and across the African continent.
The re-opening – initially to manufacture railway sleepers for a Transnet Freight Rail (TFR) contract – was also a strategic move in the wake of growing pressure for government to address the long-term underinvestment, vandalism and lack of maintenance which has all but crippled South Africa’s railway system.
The recent announcement that 11 new private sector players have been authorised – and are in negotiations with government to operate alongside the state-owned entity for six key routes – is a long-awaited breakthrough.
For Chief Executive Officer Gwen Mahuma-Madida, this will be a game-changer – not only for companies such as Colossal Concrete Products, but also for exporters and importers which will benefit from a more competitive, reliable and efficient logistics network. Moving freight from road to rail will not only cut costs and wear and tear on infrastructure, but potentially unlock bottlenecks at ports, boost mining and export revenues and even reduce carbon emissions.
Appointing private sector operators will also enable government to leverage private investment to repair and upgrade the railway system.
Two years down the track
Colossal Concrete Products, a black women-owned precast concrete manufacturing Level 1 B-BBEE company, became the new owner of the Brakpan and De Aar precast concrete manufacturing facilities formerly operated by Aveng Infraset in 2021. The sale included the plant and equipment, key staff, intellectual property (IP) and licenses which relate to the wide range of precast railway products, poles and masts, pipes and culverts, enclosures and related specialised products which the company manufactures and exports annually.
The De Aar and Brakpan facilities, which have supplied industry with pivotal precast infrastructure products for over 65 years, produced the first concrete rail sleepers in 1958 and have been recognised as trailblazers in rail infrastructure innovation ever since.
Chief Operating Officer Mmapitso Kiewiet recalls how the De Aar factory started out with just a handful of former employees when it was de-mothballed in October 2023. Today, the facility features some 40 staff – including former, experienced employees. The long-term vision is to ensure that the facility remains busy, ensuring employment in an area which typically features high unemployment.
“We are extremely grateful that the facility has remained fully functional – and that we have been able to make a positive impact in the lives of our people there, and in the local economy. One of our greatest achievements has been the exceptional quality of the products produced at De Aar, with very low reject levels,” Kiewiet enthuses.
On track for diversification
Technical Sales and Service Manager Werner Booyens, who is part of the business development team, says that in addition to manufacturing railway sleepers and related rail infrastructure, Colossal’s De Aar facility also produces water channels and chutes, precast concrete culverts, IWJ (in-the-wall joint) pipes, valve chambers, sump/pump station rings and certain sizes of kerb stones for the renewable energy and agricultural sectors, and related regional projects.
The De Aar facility also produces concrete water and feeding troughs for sale directly to farmers or via agricultural co-operatives. Furthermore, renewable energy plants – both solar and wind – are a key target market. Colossal Concrete De Aar produces three types of trench covers for renewable energy installations – a product which Booyens is confident will continue.
Other products – which are yet to be manufactured at De Aar – are the concrete poles / masts which would appeal to municipalities reaching as far as Kimberley. “Back in the day, the De Aar facility supplied the masts for the 150 kilometre Kimberley-De Aar electrification project. It also supplied the masts which facilitated the supply of additional power to the iron ore line,” says Operations Executive Chris Marinaki.
According to Kiewiet, the company is open to new ideas and new applications for existing products – and is prepared to work alongside potential customers. For example, over the past few months, Colossal has worked with consulting engineers to develop container plinth foundations within which electrical equipment is stored on wind farms.
The same goes for the railway engineers who are set to revitalise and potentially increase South Africa’s rail network. Colossal has capacity to deliver a million concrete railway sleepers per year from its De Aar and Brakpan facilities.
“Our vision for the De Aar facility – and indeed for Colossal Concrete Products as a whole – is to be a fully functional rail, infrastructure, pole and mast manufacturer: a one-stop concrete infrastructure products provider which can support the public and private sectors across South Africa,” Mahuma-Madida concludes.
Frosty Squid
Agriculture: South Africa ranks in the top 20 countries for agricultural output. South Africa is one of the most fertile countries in the world and so many doors are open to start an agricultural start-up.